coastal areas of russia, marcus island, northern marianas, guam, wake island and taiwan, please do not go near the waters. move to higher ground as soon as possible. you're watching nhk world and a major earthquake hit japan friday afternoon. this happened about an hour and 15, 20 minutes ago. japan's meteorological agency says the earthquake measured 8.4. the agency issued a tsunami warning for japan's pacific cost. in northern japan tsunami waves of up to 4 meters were observed soon after the quake. the agency is warning the tsunami could be between 6 and 10 meters. you're seeing some of the tsunami damage so far in miyagi prefecture in the sendai area where some of the homes and

farms have been flooded when the tsunami went upstream a river. according to the transport ministry, the international airport has reopened two of its four runways. international airport has reopened two of its four runways. they had earlier closed all. they have reopened two of its four runways. the japan road traffic information center, japan road information center, and police say express ways around tokyo and northeastern japan have been closed. the japan road traffic information center and police say expressways around tokyo and northeastern japan have been closed. according to toshiba elevator,

it assumes that most elevators came to a halt in the region affected by the disaster. according to toshiba elevator it assumes most elevators came to a halt in the region effected by the disaster. at the moment the company has been collecting information about mechanical troubles. the industry ministers nuclear and industrial safety agency has put in place an emergency center for the earthquake. it will collect information concerning damages caused by the earthquake to nuclear power plants around the country. for those just tuned in to nhk world, you're seeing live coverage of miyagi prefecture in sendai area where a tsunami has struck. a major earthquake hit japan on friday afternoon. japan's meteorological agency says a quake measured magnitude 8.4. >> we were just watching an unbelievable disaster befalling japan right now as we watch the aftershocks and the effect of a tsunami hit parts of a rural area, also a part of the city area north of tokyo in the country of japan.

right now we're hearing them report on possible damages to actually nuclear power plants in that area. as you see, the tsunami waters just roll through the countryside there taking out homes and boats and cars all along with it. you see the damage here is going to be unfolding in front of us for quite some time. >> staggering. consider this number, for example, the last big quake to strike japan was back in 1995, a 6.8 magnitude quake, 6,000 people died in that disaster. right now we're hearing various reports of 8.4 to 8.8, even to 8.9 magnitude quake. a much stronger quake than the one back in 1995. you can imagine, as peggy said, the extent of the damage here. literally buildings in tokyo just shook violently. people being evacuated and issuing dire warnings that if you're in the coastal areas, not just of japan, but several other countries to get to higher ground as fast as you can. other tsunamis could be triggered by this massive quake. >> the tsunami most people are

familiar with hit in 2004 right after the christmas holiday. that was a 9.1 earthquake that triggered that enormous tsunami that cost so many people their lives. now, looking at this right now, we're hearing reports of 8.9. just slightly less than the 9.1 that caused that tsunami. you can imagine that really what we're looking at right now as we see this water roll ahead, what this could mean. >> it's staggering. keep in mind, this figure with blow my mind and most folks' mind, that tsunami from 2004, 200,000 plus people perished in that disaster. 200,000 plus. obviously, details are still coming in or scarce at this point as to what, you know, extent of the damage and death toll may be from this. those other disasters give you some perspective. this an international event. warnings in russia, the philippines, indonesia, taiwan,

guam and u.s. state of hawaii. a major, major disaster in that part of the world on this friday morning. >> we'll continue to bring you the latest details and also more live pictures from japan. stay with us. we'll take a quick break. i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement nsurance card, too. medicare is one of the great things about turning 65, but it doesn't cover everything. in fact, it only pays up to " 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare, call now to find out how an aarp... insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, not paid by medicare part b. that can save you from paying .up to thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endorsed by aarp. when you call now, you'll get this free information kit... with all you need to enroll. put their trust in aarp p medicare supplement insuranc. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. the prices are competitive.

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welcome back, everyone. following this breaking story, the second earthquake to hit in a week and also the subsequent tsunami in the country of japan. joining us is abc reporter akiko fujita, joining us from tokyo felt the earthquake from the bureau. can you give us the latest? >> reporter: we know it was an 8.8 earthquake hit off the northeastern coast of japan, about a few hours north of where we are in tokyo by bullet train. we definitely felt it out here in the abc bureau in tokyo. you know, we felt some swaying in the beginning and it got stronger and stronger and lasted quite a long time. we know right now it has triggered a 13-foot tsunami.

we are looking at incredible video coming in from nhk, the public broadcaster out here. homes have been swept away by these waves. you know, you can imagine with these images just how bad the damage will be once that water recedes. >> we're also seeing a lot of flames. from your vantage point at that abc building there, are you seeing any fires? >> reporter: we are not seeing any from our vantage point but we have been watching all the footage coming through japanese media reports. nhk has not confirmed at least these are a direct result of the quake. we're trying to confirm that ourselves. again, we felt quite a bit of shaking here. so, we've got to confirm that. i imagine, you know, quite a significant amount of damage even far away from the epicenter. >> akiko, can you tell us

anything about the area that we're watching, just heartbreaking footage coming in where the tsunami has struck? can you tell us anything about that particular part of the country, how populated it is or any main national resources or plants happen to be in that area? >> reporter: you know, again, it's a few hours north of tokyo by bullet train. sendai city is the largest city in that area. you know, the significant amount of people that live there, obviously it's a decent size city. and the hardest hit is obviously where the tsunami is happening, northern coast. this is the extent of what we can give you at this point. >> i understand details are scarce here and obviously officials in japan are asking people in coastal areas to evacuate, to get to higher ground. do you get a sense people are heeding those warnings? is there a movement in the country now, folks trying to get out of harm's way with tsunamis

likely in all of this? >> reporter: absolutely. the one thing we can say about japan, the japanese people are very used to earthquakes. as you can imagine. any time we get any tremors out here, they are very well prepared. tsunami -- this is the largest quake i've seen in the time i have lived here, but, you know, they are definitely listening to the warnings. a lot of people are evacuating to higher ground. >> akiko, we appreciate it. the very latest from the abc bureau in tokyo. we'll check back in with you again. right now, we actually want to take a quick break. we're getting a little more information now. we'll go ahead and get that. .

we are following a major, major disaster this morning in japan. an 8.8, possibly an 8.9 magnitude quake struck in the northeastern part of that country. literally, japan is in chaos right now. triggered a tsunami we're watching footage come in, watching homes and businesses. people are being urged to evacuate to higher ground. >> that's right. we've been taking a look here, the live pictures you're seeing from the nhk, the public broadcaster out of japan. now, this is just a rolling tide of tsunami water.

you can see it taking out homes and buildings there as it rolls forward. this is in a rural region north of tokyo called miyagi. as you can see, this is obviously causing mass destruction in this particular region. as we continue to get more details, most people are saying the aftershock was just as bad, coming in at 7.4. once again, this quake struck in the middle of the afternoon, a friday amp locally, 2:46, so most people at work or out and about. perhaps the one upside might be this looks to be sparsely densely populated region as opposed to an area like tokyo, a city with more people in them. it looks like a lot of farmland. this is footage from the initial tsunami, taking out cars and obviously causing a lot of problems. >> absolutely unbelievable footage. the extent of the destruction still a big unknown. we want to turn things over to akiko fujita, our correspondent in japan. good morning, akiko.

are you hearing anything about the extent of the damage? i know it's pandemonium and chaos, not surprisingly, but are you hearing anything about the damage of all this may be? >> reporter: it's interesting. we were just mentioning some of the aftershocks. as i'm sitting here talking to you, we've gotten quite a lot of aftershocks since that first quake hit just before 3:00. you mentioned the images we've been seeing, these homes being washed away on the northern coast of japan. you know, we can say that the closest city, the closest largest city is sendai, about a million people living there. obviously, that is not where we're seeing the tsunami, but we do know that magnitude 8.8 earthquake, tsunami measuring 13 feet. >> my goodness. >> reporter: really just dramatic images that we're seeing out of nkh, the same footage in new york you're monitoring at the footage, the sheer panic people are feeling. you are still in the abc

building in tokyo on the sixth floor. is it tough to sit there? you said you're feeling aftershocks. >> reporter: well, it is. one thing living in japan is we get so many earth quakes, you tend to just ignore them, but this is definitely one where i was sitting here and i started to feel and it got stronger and stronger and felt the need to duck under the table. we at one point thought about leaving the building because some of the sirens were going off as well. so, you can imagine we're in tokyo, hours away from the epicenter, but it was is that strong here as well. >> and the panic is not over yet because there are -- there could be more tsunamis to come, which is the really dangerous part of all this. the danger is not over just yet. >> reporter: that's correct. there can be more tsunamis. i have to tell you, i've been trying to gather all the information here, so i don't have exact numbers in place. but one thing is that japan is a country that is -- they're prepared for something like this. but when you see those images, you can't imagine anybody being prepared to kind of --

>> right. akiko, we have to take a quick commercial break as we stay on this story all morning. we'll follow this throughout the morning. a tragedy unfolding in japan on this friday morning.

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welcome back. you're taking a look at live pictures of the aftereffects of an enormous tsunami, which followed an enormous earthquake of 8.9 magnitude. this is outside of japan that you're looking at now is in miyagi province. however, we were seeing earlier pictures also of the airport which appears to be completely under water. not to mention a natural gas fire at an oil refinery. a lot of people there concerned about some of the nuclear power plants that are also there in japan. they're saying some damage has been -- occurred to those. we're getting this information in from nhk, these live pictures as you see aerial photos of the tsunami water rolling over rural countryside.

>> just absolutely unbelievable images here. again, tsunami warnings not only for japan but other countries as well. that is a picture of a natural gas refinery. you can see the flames shooting into the sky there. the extent of the damage, possible death toll is still unknown at this point. details, as you can imagine, are slowly coming into us here. just an incredible tragedy here. the biggest earthquake in that country since 1995. that was, i think, a 6-point magnitude, this is an 8.9 or 8.8, there are conflicting reports of the strength, but a monster earthquake followed by this devastating tsunami in northeastern part of japan. a country very much in crisis at this point early on what was -- up until 2:46, what was a normal afternoon local time. >> the foreign minister asking for aid from other countries. we're taking a look at live pictures from downtown tokyo. some things appear to be moving along, you know, the traffic there being able to move along. however, earlier we're seeing

cars floating down in the water that was tsunami water that overtook the area. we do have a correspondent in tokyo who said she felt the earthquake, of course, and many people evacuated. >> and she was live. i mean, she was in that building and felt the aftershocks, one of which was a 7.4. pictures of live downtown tokyo right now. again, this earthquake happened a few hours north of tokyo, but they said they even felt the shaking in that part of the country, to give you some sense of just what a massive earthquake this was. >> other parts of the country and world are concerned about a follow-up tsunami, guam, taiwan, philippines, indonesia, also, hawaii has been issued a tsunami warning that can also be affected. we have also heard reports of injuries in tokyo. as you can imagine, the mass evacuation. take a look at the airport. people looking for higher ground in light of the tsunami warnings. but really incredible just to see it absolutely covered in water. >> turned into an island

literally. they're warning people along the coast, please seek higher ground, get out of the way. again, not just in japan b

this morning on "world news now" -- breaking news. a violent earthquake off japan's northeast coast has rocked the nation and the region. >> a tsunami has flooded coastal areas of japan with warnings posted as far away as hawaii. it's friday, march 11th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning, everyone. i'm peggy bunker. >> i'm rob nelson. we get straight now to abc's akiko fujita from our tokyo bureau about this massive disaster that unfolding at this hour in tokyo, again, an 8.8 perhaps 8.9 earthquake struck

there in japan. good morning, how are you? >> reporter: good morning to you. just incredible images we are following from our partner out here, public broadcaster nhk. some of the tsunamis, homes being washed away, images we have here in japan has never really seen before. i can tell you we just got word of one death ibaraki, that is north here of tokyo. we are feeling an aftershock as i speak right now. we've been getting quite a few aftershocks since that first earthquake hit, the 8.9 earthquake hit a little before 3:00. >> we just got -- >> reporter: i can tell you, they start out kind of slow and they've been shaking, getting larger and larger. waiting to see if i need to duck under the table. >> akiko, as you say that, it's got to be terrifying to stay there. if you need to get up and leave the building, you know, please do so. obviously, we're following your

lead being you're still there in tokyo, six-story abc news building. looks like we'll go back to her in a quick second. we do want to explain the tsunami is after-effects -- file footage you're seeing there. a tsunami is a massive wave caused by underwater earthquake. looks like they'll settle 8.9 magnitude earthquake. tsunami warnings across the globe now. >> we have not seen anything quite like this since 2004 when that 9.1 magnitude quake struck off the coast of indonesia. keep in mind, a staggering death toll in that tragedy. more than 200,000 people killed in that one. as you heard akiko say, one known death in japan at this point from this earthquake and subsequent tsunami. we want to go back to her now. akiko, can you hear us? are you still with us? >> she may not be.

we want her safety first. >> absolutely. >> her first priority. >> a series of aftershocks. one was a 7.4, so after the initial 8.8 or 8.9, even the quakes were extremely strong. akiko, i think you're there now. you just had one a few minutes ago. are you safe? what's the situation where you are, south of where this happened? >> reporter: we are okay now. you know, we've been getting quite a few shakes. any time something comes, you sit here and wonder if you should duck under the table. this didn't last as long. i can tell you that first one, though, that we felt just before 3:00 lasted quite a long time. you know, keep in mind, we're in tokyo, which is a few hours south of the epicenter. but we have a lot of shaking here in the bureau. we've got an area behind me, we saw plates falling down. you can imagine how severe the shaking was. we've seen images here in tokyo buildings -- smoke coming out of buildings, we saw a fire in chiba outside of tokyo as

well. while the epicenter is a few hours away from here, we're feeling the impact here in tokyo. >> akiko, also we have been seeing incredible pictures from what appears to be the airport. in fact, a lot of people standing on the rooftops at the airport. the airport appeared to be completely and totally flooded. lots of debris in the area surrounding the airport, cars, all sort of debris. we're looking at those pictures now. do you have any information of what's going on there? >> reporter: i don't have that information. we're following it just as you are as well, watching live video coming out. i can tell you all the airports have shut down, including the ones narita and haneda out here in tokyo. we're trying to get information. you hear the phones going out. we're trying to get the information along for you guys. >> right. any sense of other tsunami warnings coming down the pike? have you caught wind of anything, government warning people what to do now because

obviously more than one tsunami is capable of striking with such a strongth quake? >> reporter: yeah, i mean, you know, the government is warning people to stay at higher ground, which this kind of shaking you can imagine. we're seeing the tsunami, the waves coming in right now, but, i mean, you know, people aren't safe to head back out. i mean, there's really -- the simple message is, you know, seek higher ground. do not go back to your homes. and stay there until we assess the damage and assess everyone's safety. >> one more question. some of the most incredible footage that we're seeing is coming in from what looks to be the miyagi province, that's where this rolling tide of water is leveling everything in its path. what information do you have about that particular area of japan? >> reporter: it's more of a rural area. it's a few hours north of here, northern coast. you know, we're following images as you are. i apologize. we don't have a whole lot of information to offer you here.

>> sure, no, understandable. yeah, we're all -- as you said, we're all getting the information at the exact same time. it's amazing to see the fires breaking out in the wake of this, this tide of water. we hear there's a lot of fires. one happening at a natural gas refinery, also perhaps damage to a nuclear power plant. >> reporter: yeah. we have seen those images as well. and the fires that i believe you're referring to is one in chiba city just outside of tokyo, not near the epicenter. again, we're seeing smoke coming out of buildings in tokyo as well. the damage not limited to the epicenter. we're trying to just gather information and see how widespread all of this is. >> we are awaiting words from japan's prime minister. you did make an interesting point. the folks in japan are used to earthquakes but this obviously is something different and far more severe than what you've become accustomed to in that neck of the world. >> reporter: that's correct. we get so used toth quakes out here, we tend just to ignore them. we feel a little shaking and move on with our lives. this is definitely one that made

everybody stop, look around and either get out of the building or duck under the table. >> sure. >> reporter: unlike what we've felt for a long time. >> you're so brave to be sitting there giving us this information, which we certainly appreciate. from what we understand in tokyo, mass amounts of people just fled the building there to get out of the buildings. did you see that? >> reporter: no. >> akiko, i'm sorry, i don't mean -- i don't mean to interrupt you, but i have to stop you for a second. they said the prime minister is addressing the situation live. >> translator: help each other to minimize the damage. we ask you to act in such a way that it will be possible to minimize the damage. this will be my greeting as head of the disaster relief headquarters. >> prime minister naoto kan saying he'll do everything possible to aid what happened at the situation. speaking there live.

right now our helicopters in -- >> prime minister of japan addressing the unfolding tragedy there. if you're just joining us, this will be the story that we cover all day for the next several weeks and months here. just an 8.8 or 8.9 possibly earthquake striking japan. 2:46 local time, shortly after 1:00 a.m. eastern time here in new york. the images we're seeing are beyond description at this point. triggered a massive 13-foot tsunami that you see swallowing towns in the north eastern part of that country, a rural area, as akiko, our correspondent in tokyo, told us. literally buildings and homes being swallowed up. we understand 4 million buildings have lost power. people are being evacuated, told to leave the coast. this is not an incident isolated to just japan. russia, the philippines, indonesia, taiwan, guam, even the state of hawaii all being told to watch out for possible tsunamis. just extent and strength of this

thing could have a huge impact far beyond japan in that corner of the world. >> the pictures speak for themselves, taking a look at the airport. as you see the debris floating around the airport, completely consumed in water. people evacuated to the roofs there in order to get out of the way. all people in that area have been told to get to higher ground due to the tsunami. the quake struck at a depth of 6 miles, 80 miles off the eastern coast. it's about 240 miles northeast of tokyo. so, we're getting all different pictures there from all up and down along the coast. we'll continue to bring you the very latest here on "world news now." we're going to take a quick break. [ sneezing ]

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welcome back, everybody. taking a live look -- taking a look, really, at this footage that has just come into "world news now." unbelievable pictures of the tsunami wave. this is in the miyagi province, which is northeast of tokyo. you see it rolling across the

countryside there. this is a rural area. mainly known for fishing, agriculture. however, the damage has been intense, taking out anything in its path as enormous wave rolls through the countryside. >> an 8.8 or perhaps 8.9 quake struck at 2:46 local time in japan. a story we've been following for you all morning. details, as you can imagine, are pouring in, the extent of the damage, perhaps death toll on this are still unknown. we understand in some parts of japan right now people are literally on their homes, waving for help, scenes similar to hurricane katrina back in august of 2005 in new orleans and along the gulf coast. fires we have seen at oil refineries and natural gas refineries as well. people are being told to evacuate. particularly those along the coast of japan as well as in several other countries as well. this is becoming really an international event in terms of the scope of all of this. but just dramatic footage coming in. fires, flooding now, homes and businesses being wiped away. cars being flipped as if they

weigh nothing. just heartbreaking images here. >> certainly. seeing the fires taking place here, you have to wonder what's going on in the state of tokyo, most populated area, populated city in japan. for that we go to our abc news correspondent live in tokyo, akiko fujita, sitting there enduring the aftershocks. how many have you felt since the initial shock took place at 2:46 this afternoon on your friday? >> reporter: you know, i think i lost count. we are feeling one just as you're saying that. they're getting weaker as they come along. you get used to it as you sit here. we're getting new reports from nhk, the public broadcaster, and we are hearing here a siren. they have been telling people to kind of stay put. every time we feel some shaking here. >> are you feeling shaking right now? >> reporter: kind of stay in place and be careful. >> so, you're saying you're

feeling an aftershock right now? >> reporter: it's kind of dying down. but i'm going to wait until he's done over there. we did just feel another aftershock. the shaking has stopped. i was mentioning we were getting new information from nhk. ten fires reported in tokyo. tokyo disneyland parking lot is flooded. we also just heard of one death reporting from nhk, a woman in her 60s or 70s caught in a landslide in ibaraki which is just north of tokyo. we're also hearing that a teenager is caught in the tsunami. when you look at those images, you can imagine, i mean, these homes being washed away. >> right.

>> reporter: we know -- you know, tough to speculate but tough to imagine there aren't other people out there that were in their homes at the time. >> absolutely. the extent of the damage here, we can't just fathom that yet, the extent of this. we need to stress this potentially involves more than just japan. we are getting word in now to "world news now" that there are also tsunami warnings in peru, chile, mexico, australia, also we heard earlier russia, philippines, indonesia, hawaii, taiwan, guam, all under some kind of tsunami warning or watch. this is a disaster now with international implications. they're saying a tsunami could hit hawaii by 8 a.m. eastern time. this is a story we have to follow for the next several hours in addition to obviously the devastation in japan. this is much further than that. >> unbelievable. >> unbelievable news story developing on this friday morning. let's take a quick b

bringing you the very latest on this earthquake in japan and also the subsequent tsunami. right now we want to go to nhk, public broadcasting company out of japan and here's the very latest. take a listen. >> tsunami wave was hit right here as you see in fukushima prefecture in northeast japan. camera crew on our helicopter is covering that situation right now. over a tsunami of 4.1 struck land. miyagi and ibaraki were hit. we're back to coverage of that oil refinery in chiba north of tokyo. northeast of tokyo. black billowing out from that oil refinery. several fires have broken out in the tokyo and surrounding areas. the fire department says fires

have reported in several places, including reclaimed land of areaki in central tokyo. pacific tsunami warning center extend the area where tsunami waves may strike. warning now includes indonesia, hawaii, australia, new zealand and the south american pacific coast, including, mexico, chile and peru. early they issued a warning for japan, russia, marcus islands, the northern marianas guam, wake island. and taiwan. in miyagi prefecture, northeastern japan, intensity of 7, the maximum was recorded. you're looking at an nhk helicopter capturing images in an oil refinery in chiba prefecture near tokyo.

black smoke seen billowing from the refinery. several fires have broken out in tokyo. the fire department says fires have been reported in several places including reclaimed land of areaki in central tokyo. fires breaking out in several places in tokyo along with surrounding areas like this one you're seeing in chiba east of tokyo. ishihara area. fire, obviously, not contained yet, from an oil refinery. there are also reports of buildings collapsing in and several people injured. we do have a report of one person that has died from the earthquake. that is information we have so far in regard to casualties. obviously, that number is -- will be changing as stories -- as the story develops and we get more information in regard to

the extent of damage. the powerful quake has stop bullet trains across the country and trains around the tokyo area. east japan railway company says all lines have stopped and major tokido lines all -- >> okay. taking a look there at an oil refinery fire, one of many as you're hearing. there are fires all over central tokyo. however, it is the countryside being hit the hardest with the tsunami wave. one of the biggest cities in the miyagi province called sendai, it is the most populated city there, it faces the pacific. which explains why they're being hit with a devastating amount of water. you see the tsunami wave rolling through that town, causing unbelievable devastation. >> the population over 1 million people as of 2003. really an economic center in the northeastern part of that country. now just inundated by water and debris.

literally homes, lives being wiped away in that area of the country. death toll unknown. one confirmed death at this point, and extent of the damage will be widespread but no exact details. >> we'll be talking about the economic damage already that people are talking about, not to mention the death toll expected to rise. more details to come, more pictures to come in. [ female announcer ] in the past 10 years

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they smell really fresh. what if we told you we washed these sheets seven days ago? really? no way? are you serious? downy! [ male announcer ] ultra downy april fresh. give us a week and we'll change your bed forever. and welcome back, everybody. we're following a major story this morning. a massive earth wake has rocked northeastern japan and tsunami following that. we're getting word from prime minister of japan, about to hold a news conference. let's listen in to what he has to say. >> translator: to the people of japan, you have probably already seen on television and heard over radio that at 1446 today an earthquake hit of 8.4 on the

magnitude scale centered around the shores -- offshore, a very strong earthquake and in the tohoku region and over a wide area damage has been estimated. i offer my deepest sympathy to the people who have suffered the disaster. regarding our nuclear power facility, some of the nuclear power plants have stopped automatically, but so far no radioactive material or radiation has been confirmed to have been leaked to the outside. there has been no information of those lines so far. and given the situation, an emergency disaster response headquarters have been set up with myself as the head. we will secure the safety of the people of japan and in order to minimize the damage, the

government will make every effort possible. >> we will follow the story throughout the morning. you can get all the latest information, obviously, on "america this morning," "good morning america" and abcnews.com. this tragedy unfolding in japan. looking at footage just into our studios, the tsunami, literally a wave caused by that earthquake going, you know, into that northeastern part of the country there, flooding that area. homes and businesses literally being wiped away. people on the roofs of their homes waving for help. you heard the prime minister say a wide area of damage, extending his sympathy to the victims of the unfolding disaster. >> asking for help from other countries and people will need that help as we start to get an assessment of what is going on. fire is a huge concern as you heard the prime minister discussing at nuclear sites, also a huge concern saying so far no disasters at that point. they shut down automatically. details on this are still coming in. we have heard reports of one

death. obviously, those numbers -- that number is definitely expected to rise. so, we are continuing to get more pictures in. we'll bring you the very latest at abc news after this quick break.wswswswswswswswswswswswsws

this morning on "world news now" -- breaking news. a violent earthquake off japan's northeast coast has rocked the nation and the region. >> a tsunami has flooded coastal areas of japan with warnings now posted in hawaii and as far away as chile and peru. it is friday, march 11th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning, everyone. thanks for joining us. i'm peggy bunker. >> i'm rob nelson. with the latest on our breaking news let's get to abc news akiko fujita, who's feeling the aftershocks in our tokyo bureau. good morning, akiko. what is the latest? out there, a country very much so in chaos at this hour.

>> reporter: good morning to you. you know, chaos is right. you know, we felt the shaking. we've been talking to you guys for the last few hours. the most shaking we have felt here in a long time. i can tell you that we are slowly starting to gather information here. word of fatalities that we are getting from our partner, the public broadcaster out here, nhk, reporting that there were roughly ten people inside a retirement home in fukushima, about 180 miles north of tokyo. nhk is reporting that the roof inside that building collapsed. there have been five confirmed deaths there in fukushima and a death reported in ibaraki which is also north of tokyo, a woman in her 60s or 70s, caught in a landslide. the situation very fluid, but we're slowly starting to get information in here. you heard the prime minister just a short time ago in a press conference, he said that the

nuclear power plant, he is checking on the nuclear power plants. the good news is no radioactive material confirmed to have been leaked so far. so, just incredible images out here in japan. >> absolutely, akiko. that's one of the concerns we heard about when we got word about this quake was that nuclear power plant, also that fire at an oil refinery. the prime minister seemed to allay fears about either one of them being of any concern. however, being there, being in tokyo, is that the case? how far away is that nuclear power plant? >> reporter: you know, it's quite a ways from where we are. the only information we've gotten is from that press conference held by the prime minister just a short while ago. in tokyo, while we're hours away from the epicenter, we definitely felt the effects of the quake. we've been following those images from our partner nhk, smoke coming out of buildings.

we've seen some fires as well in chiba, just outside of the city. so, you know, plenty of damage and effects felt as far away as tokyo. >> we heard the prime minister say there was a wide area of damage. i know i asked you this before, but explain a little in terms of the area that this tsunami has impacted. talk about that area of japan, about a million -- at least a million folks in that area, rural area, and also some -- an economic center of japan as well. >> reporter: that's right. the largest city closest to that rural area, the images you're seeing is sendai city, which is about 1 million people living there. so, there is a major city there. and, you know, we would like to say, good news is that the images we're seeing is in the rural area. obviously, tremendous damage. >> right. >> reporter: you see those homes being washed away by the waves. >> the prime minister has already said he's ordered his

officials to start accepting international assistance because the scope of this is going to be huge. i do think it's important for folks out there to know this is not isolated. other countries are under tsunami warnings and watches. they're saying a tsunami could hit hawaii, obviously a u.s. state, by 8:00 eastern time this morning, mexico, chile, peru, australia, guam, philippines, russia, all of those areas. >> take a look at this video of this person standing outside of their house, waving a sheet, trying to get the attention of the helicopters capturing these images. sheer desperation from the people trapped in these homes. as you see the water that has just flown through this area. we're getting these pictures from nhk, public broadcaster as akiko was detailing this. appears to be in miyagi, sendai being the main village, main province with a million population plus. we saw this wall of water really come through, take out cars, trucks, buildings, houses and just push them over. it seems to have settled. however, even out at the airport, completely under water

and people on the roof evacuated from the roof to higher ground. >> the scene reminiscent of two things. we haven't seen this since 2004 when a 9.1 magnitude quake struck off the coast of indonesia. more than 220,000 people perished in that disaster. this is japan's biggest disaster since 1995, 6,000 people perished in that disaster. the waving of the flag from the rooftop reminiscent of the hurricane katrina disaster in new orleans six years ago. we're seeing all of this unfold in japan. normal friday afternoon, middle of the afternoon and this struck. officials there have been saying please get to safe ground if you're along the coastal areas. tsunamis are still likely. additional ones beyond this one, still likely. if you're on the coast, they're urging you to get to higher ground. not just japan, but several other countries. >> now, interestingly enough, japan uses a different scale for their earthquakes in order to measure them, of course. we use something from geological and use a seismic scale. they rate their earthquakes from 0 to 7 scale.

this has been rated 7, maximum amount. they possibly could. and you can see why when you look at these pictures and then the resulting tsunami. this is a wall of water that has caused such massive destruction that we're really just starting to get the scope of this at this time. >> akiko, do you have any sense yet, do you have a sense yet since you're in tokyo, whether the aftershocks have leveled off at this point or things beginning to calm down? calm is a weird phrase at these hours with you, but has it settled down a little bit? are you still feeling the shaking you felt hours ago? >> reporter: they've definitely gotten weaker. i can tell you that. we're still feeling some right for you. we have gotten quite a few aftershakes, but -- aftershocks but they have gotten weaker. one thing i want to point out as you talk about those images, japan is a country that is relatively well prepared for earthquakes. so, images you're seeing speak to the magnitude of the quake we felt earlier today.

you know, this is a country that has, you know, plenty of earthquake drills. we feel earthquakes out here all the time. nothing like we felt earlier today in a long time. >> were people heeding those evacuation warnings there in tokyo? did you see people exiting all those buildings in that densely populated area? >> reporter: you know, it's tough to see from our vantage point, but based on the images i've seen, i can tell you, japanese people take their earthquakes very seriously because they get so many of them. they are looking into the warnings, they are making sure out on the coast at least, to seek higher ground and stay there until they hear otherwise. also people who were inside the buildings evacuating, doing exactly as they were told. >> i'm sure that's definitely the situation in sendai, which we keep going back to because the images are so incredible. the economic fallout from this is going to be enormous. from what we know about this town, they produce a great deal of agricultural livestock, electronics, appliances, a good deal of manufacturing in that particular region.

right now looks like there's a lot of incredible fires going on, water damage, just destruction in general. what do you know about that particular area of the country? >> reporter: well, there's one of the major cities out in japan. you know, the fact they are already, you know -- initial reports we're getting, the damage we're already seeing, you can imagine once things quiet down, things get settled, we'll get more reports of that. so, you can imagine the economic impact they will feel. sendai is definitely one of the major cities in japan. and the fact they have experienced a quake this big will -- you know, you'll definitely feel the impact. >> akiko, with the building shaking violently and we've heard about landslides and collapsed buildings. so far you said there may be six to eight reported or confirmed deaths at this point. how great are the fears there the death toll will go well beyond that? >> reporter: i'm sorry. i'm going to have you repeat that as we're hearing -- they've been running these sort of

announcements the whole time, telling people to stay out of the elevators. as we continue to get these aftershocks. i apologize, i didn't catch your question. >> you don't have to apologize. we understand you're reporting literally in the middle of chaos there. please, don't apologize. i was asking about the death toll, we're hearing about landslides and collapsed buildings and roof collapses. you said a few minutes ago, six to eight deaths confirmed at this point. there must be fears the death toll could soar a lot higher than that. >> reporter: i imagine. the situation out here very fluid, obviously. the fact we are already getting reports of six deaths, one in ibaraki and another just north of tokyo, and we're seeing these images with the tsunami. you can imagine once the water recedes the damage and the of courses injuries that we'll get. >> we thank you for staying there.

we know this has to be a scary situation for you in tokyo. we appreciate your input and we'll check back in. as we go to break, we want people to know here in the united states that the first tsunami warning has been said it could hit hawaii by 8:00 a.m. eastern. so, something to keep in mind here in the united states. as we continue to follow this breaking news. hó [ doctor ] here's some health information for people over 50. maybe you don't think you're at isk for heart attack or stroke but if you've been diagnosed with p.a.d., or have pain or heaviness in yur legs, i want to talk to you. you may have heard of poor leg circulation, which could be peripheral artery dsease, or p.a.d.

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take a look at these pictures right now. you're watching these live in from japan as a result of an earthquake there. 8.8, 8.9 magnitude. different reports of the scale of this earthquake. however, this is an oil refinery that caught fire and expanded, more and more flames. natural gas refinery. this is in chiba, japan, it's on the east coast of the country. >> we watched those pictures intensify over the last few hours. it was a different story a few hours ago with things getting worse. it is going to be days if not weeks or months before the full extent of the damage there becomes clear from this massive earthquake and this 13-foot tsunami that has really hammered the northeastern part of the country. earlier today we heard from japan's prime minister who was updating the nation on relief efforts and the extent of the damage. take a listen. >> translator: to the people of japan, you have probably already

seen on television and heard over radio that at 1446 today an earthquake hit of 8.4 on the magnitude scale, centered around the shores offshore sanduku and a very strong earthquake. in the tohoku region mainly over a wide area, damage has been inflicted. i offer my deepest sympathy to the people who have suffered the disaster. regarding our nuclear power facilities, some of the nuclear power plants have stopped automatically. but so far no radioactive material or radiation has been confirmed to have been leaked to the outside. there has been no information of those lines so far. and given the situation, an emergency disaster response headquarters has been set up with myself as the head.

we will secure the safety of the people of japan and in order to minimize the damage, the government will make every effort possible. and we ask the people of japan to continue to be cautious and vigilant and keep tuned in to the reports on the television and radio. and we ask the people of japan to act calmly. >> japanese prime minister, one, extending his sympathy, two, warning this is not over yet. after he spoke the chief cabinet secretary spoke, followed up, making a few key points. saying there's been no damage to any nuclear power plants in the country, meaning no leaks which would be a health disaster, no derailment of trains but some people are trapped on trains. relief efforts are being organized, international aid is already coming into the country

as word of this begins to trickle out through the news media. he also warned people in japan be ready for more aftershocks and waves. this thing is not over. of that whole part of the world impacted because this quake was so big. >> and also going to impact other parts of the world right now. talking about hawaii, a tsunami warning was issued at about 9:31 there. it could be that the earliest arrival of a tsunami wave would reach hawaii about 2:59 a.m., hawaiian standard time. they're urging people in that area to get to higher ground, especially if they live in a flood zone. they want them to get to higher ground immediately. they're hearing tsunami warnings sirens in honolulu. we talked about australia, chile, other islands in the pacific heeding this warning after this massive, massive earthquake descends upon japan. >> this is not an isolated incident. be sure to stay tuned to abc news. we'll be back with more after this. ter this. medicare. it doesn't cover everything.

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welcome back, everybody. of course we're continuing our coverage of a major disaster unfolding in japan. we want to take you live coverage by nkh, the japanese network, as they cover not only this earthquake but pictures there, the result of the tsunami that followed that quake after it struck at 2:46 local time in northeast japan. >> now, this is not any kind of populated building. this is actually a refinery. it's an oil -- a natural gas refinery that, as we've watched this thing catch fire. there were initial small flames and now we've watched it take over the entire facility. we want to listen in now to nhk. >> in chiba prefecture east of tokyo, ichihara area, firefighters having a hard time, obviously, to contain that large fire there.

police in miyagi prefecture says an unnumber of people are missing. tsunami waves swept through coastal areas inland. many building and cars have left -- been left submerged. prefecture police say at least eight people have now been confirmed dead in four prefectures in northern japan. prefectural police say at least eight people have been confirmed dead in four prefectures in northern japan. in the northeastern prefecture of fukushima, a local fire department says a welfare facility has collapsed. five people have been confirmed dead and several people are missing. we are feeling the aftershocks of the quake in the studio as we speak. in miyagi prefecture police say one person has been confirmed dead after being struck by a falling object. we are feeling the aftershock of the earthquake in the studio as we speak.

there you can see, that's a live shot of one of our live inside the studio. we are feeling the aftershocks of the large earthquake that happened about two hours -- over 2 hours and 30 minutes. in iwaki prefecture, one person has been confirmed dead after their car was swept away by a tidal waive in ibaraki and tochigi prefectures. tokyo, two people are reported to have died after a building

collapsed on them. we're turning our camera to oarai prefecture, about a few hundred kilometers north of tokyo. it looks like a tsunami has engulfed parts of that prefecture as well. you see cars floating from our live camera there. >> all right. live coverage from nhk network in japan. developing story. >> right. we'll be checking back in our reporter in tokyo who had to go under her desk for another aftershock. more details to come. so whiten your teeth. no coffee. [ female announcer ] crest 3d white toothpaste removes up to 80% of surface stains in just two weeks. hi. [ female announcer ] for a noticeably whiter smile. crest 3d white toothpaste.

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saying two of the most important things -- >> live coverage there from japan. the prime minister speaking again, a second news conference so far as this tragedy unfolds. we should point out this hour the coast guard is standing by in hawaii. a tsunami warning there. it could strike by 8:00 eastern time this morning. so, those authorities are in place right now as we watch that situation as well. this incident is not isolated to japan. >> right. >> a large part of the world watching. >> worldwide regions right now. we want to go to our abc correspondent in the center of it all, akiko fujita has been in the abc news bureau. in tokyo. we understand you were under your desk, basically, trying to protect yourself due to another aftershock, of which you've endured several this morning. >> reporter: that's right. we've been getting quite a lot of aftershocks. they have gotten weaker as the hours have gone by, but any time you get one, you kind of look around and then just hope the shaking stops. i can tell you we've gotten new information out here.

we just heard from one of our partners out here that 200 people out in sendai, a major city we've been talking about in -- near the epicenter of the quake, 200 people stuck in a landslide, that's from fujii tv. and we also heard that japan rail has stopped all service as a precaution. we know eight confirmed deaths so far. we heard reports of -- >> all right. we may have lost contact there with akiko. obviously, this is a developing story. you can imagine the situation she's in as details just become clear as to the extent of the damage and depth in that country. this is something obviously we're going to follow throughout the morning. please, stay tuned for "america this morning" as well as "good morning america" and all the latest at abcnews.com as we continue to cover this massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami in japan. it's going to be a horrible day in that part of the country. >> more details to come. stay with abc news.

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this morning on "world news now" -- breaking news. a violent earthquake off japan's northeast coast has rocked the nation. >> a tsunami warning is in effect for a large portion of that country. other nations as well. waves could top 30 feet or more. it is friday, march 11th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning. thanks for joining us. i'm peggy banker. >> i'm rob nelson. a very busy news day ahead. >> incredible footage as we see an earthquake that rocked japan. we're watching tsunamis. you're looking at the file footage of the quake. these are the videos we got a bit earlier, initially reported as a 7.9, upgraded to an 8.8

quake and 7.4 aftershock that hit 30 minutes later. that is what triggered a tsunami that is really causing great devastation there. >> amazing. this is the second major quake to hit japan in just a week. first the reports of a 13-foot tsunami and now tsunami watches and warnings not only for japan, as you can imagine, but russia, japan, the philippines, indonesia, guam and the u.s. state of hawaii as well. this is evolving into an international event. dramatic footage, homes and buildings just being washed away as tsunami just literally 13-foot tsunami engulfs that country. >> take a look at this water damage here as you see it plowing over buildings. you see homes, businesses, cars absolutely being caught up in this flood. we've all, of course, been familiar with the damage that a tsunami can cause. right now there is a warning about another tsunami that could hit. this one was 19 feet and apparently there are more that could hit. >> right now we're getting information that this is the biggest earthquake since 1995. the biggest earthquake since

1995. it struck at about 2:46 japan time, shortly after 1:00 a.m. eastern time. 8.8, a monster earthquake. already word from japanese officials that they're going to -- already in the process now of accepting foreign assistance because the scope of this is going to be unbelievable. let's take a listen now to nhk, the japanese network's live coverage. >> it's over four meters. soon after the quake. the agency is warning the tsunami could reach between 6 and 10 meters. we're getting reports of several buildings on fire. we do not know the exact amount of damage but we're soon so get a report from japan's meteorological agency. they're setting up to find out the extent of damage. all transportation systems in tokyo as well as northern japan have been stopped. airports closed in tokyo,

haneda, as well as narita airport. a great earthquake has hit japan. magnitude 8.4 in northern japan. agency has been warning of tsunami ever since the quake. tsunami has hit miyagi, sendai area as live helicopter camera crews are up covering and showing you exactly what is going on at this time. deputy chief cabinet secretary told reporters on friday that miyagi prefecture where the earthquake has hit hardest has asked the government to send self-defense force units to deal with the situation and aid the situation. defense ministry officials say self-defense force personnel are currently contacting local government and related agencies to assess the extent of the damage. earlier prime minister naoto kan and the cabinet have gathered at the prime minister's office, where an emergency task force has been set up to respond to the earthquake.

the task force will gather information on damage and prepare for more possible tsunamis. japan's foreign minister matsumoto has ordered his officials to start preparing to accept foreign assistance. she has also told them to check on the safety of foreigners living here in japan. the pacific tsunami warning center has issued a tsunami warning not just for japan but also for russia, marcus island, the northern marianas, guam, wake island and taiwan. the pacific tsunami warning center has issued a tsunami warning not just for japan, where a tsunami has already struck. you can see some of the damage so far in miyagi prefecture in the sendai area but also for russia, marcus island, the northern mariana, guam, wake island and taiwan. for those just tuning in and

living anywhere close to the coastal areas of russia, marcus island, northern marianas, guam, wake island and taiwan, please do not go near the waters. move to higher ground as soon as possible. you're watching nhk world and a major earthquake hit japan friday afternoon. this happened about an hour and 15, 20 minutes ago. japan's meteorological agency says the earthquake measured 8.4. the agency issued a tsunami warning for japan's pacific coast. in northern japan tsunami waves of up to 4 meters were observed soon after the quake. the agency is warning the tsunami could be between 6 and 10 meters. you're seeing some of the tsunami damage so far in miyagi prefecture in the sendai area where some of the homes and

farms have been flooded when the tsunami went upstream a river. according to the transport ministry, haneda international airport has reopened two of its four runways. haneda international airport has reopened two of its four runways. the airport had earlier closed all the runways. haneda has reopened two of its four runways. the japan road traffic information center, japan road information center, and police say express ways around tokyo and northeastern japan have been closed. the japan road traffic information center and police say expressways around tokyo and northeastern japan have been closed. according to toshiba elevator,

it assumes that most elevators came to a halt in the region affected by the disaster. according to toshiba elevator it assumes most elevators came to a halt in the region effected by the disaster. at the moment the company has been collecting information about mechanical troubles. the industry ministers nuclear and industrial safety agency has put in place an emergency center for the earthquake. it will collect information concerning damages caused by the earthquake to nuclear power plants around the country. for those just tuned in to nhk world, you're seeing live coverage of miyagi prefecture in sendai area where a tsunami has struck. a major earthquake hit japan on friday afternoon. japan's meteorological agency says a quake measured magnitude 8.4. >> we were just watching an unbelievable disaster befalling japan right now as we watch the aftershocks and the effect of a tsunami hit parts of a rural area, also a part of the city area north of tokyo in the

country of japan. right now we're hearing them report on possible damages to actually nuclear power plants in that area. as you see, the tsunami waters just roll through the countryside there taking out homes and boats and cars all along with it. you see the damage here is going to be unfolding in front of us for quite some time. >> staggering. consider this number, for example, the last big quake to strike japan was back in 1995, a 6.8 magnitude quake, 6,000 people died in that disaster. right now we're hearing various reports of 8.4 to 8.8, even to 8.9 magnitude quake. a much stronger quake than the one back in 1995. you can imagine, as peggy said, the extent of the damage here. literally buildings in tokyo just shook violently. people being evacuated and issuing dire warnings that if you're in the coastal areas, not just of japan, but several other countries to get to higher ground as fast as you can. other tsunamis could be triggered by this massive quake. >> the tsunami most people are

familiar with hit in 2004 right after the christmas holiday. that was a 9.1 earthquake that triggered that enormous tsunami that cost so many people their lives. now, looking at this right now, we're hearing reports of 8.9. just slightly less than the 9.1 that caused that tsunami. you can imagine that really what we're looking at right now as we see this water roll ahead, what this could mean. >> it's staggering. keep in mind, this figure with blow my mind and most folks' mind, that tsunami from 2004, 200,000 plus people perished in that disaster. 200,000 plus. obviously, details are still coming in or scarce at this point as to what, you know, extent of the damage and death toll may be from this. those other disasters give you some perspective. this an international event. warnings in russia, the philippines, indonesia, taiwan, guam and u.s. state of hawaii. a major, major disaster in that part of the world on this friday morning. >> we'll continue to bring you

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welcome back, everyone. following this breaking story, the second earthquake to hit in a week and also the subsequent tsunami in the country of japan. joining us is abc reporter akiko fujita, joining us from tokyo felt the earthquake from the bureau. can you fill us in on the latest, akiko? >> reporter: we know it was an 8.8 earthquake hit off the northeastern coast of japan, about a few hours north of where we are in tokyo by bullet train. we definitely felt it out here in the abc bureau in tokyo. you know, we felt some swaying in the beginning and it got stronger and stronger and lasted quite a long time. we know right now it has triggered a 13-foot tsunami.

we are looking at incredible video coming in from nhk, the public broadcaster out here. homes have been swept away by these waves. you know, you can imagine with these images just how bad the damage will be once that water recedes. >> we're also seeing a lot of flames. from your vantage point at that abc building there, are you able to see if any buildings in tokyo there, which i know is densely populated, are you seeing any fires? >> reporter: we are not seeing any from our vantage point but we have been watching all the footage coming through japanese media reports. nhk has not confirmed at least these are a direct result of the quake. we're trying to confirm that ourselves. again, we felt quite a bit of shaking here. so, we've got to confirm that. i imagine, you know, quite a significant amount of damage even far away from the epicenter. >> akiko, can you tell us anything about the area that we're watching, just

heartbreaking footage coming in where the tsunami has struck? can you tell us anything about that particular part of the country, how populated it is or any main national resources or plants happen to be in that area? >> reporter: you know, again, it's a few hours north of tokyo by bullet train. sendai city is the largest city in that area. you know, the significant amount of people that live there, obviously it's a decent size city. and the hardest hit is obviously where the tsunami is happening, northern coast. this is the extent of what we can give you at this point. >> i understand details are scarce here and obviously officials in japan are asking people in coastal areas to evacuate, to get to higher ground. do you get a sense people are heeding those warnings? is there a movement in the country now, folks trying to get out of harm's way with tsunamis likely in all of this? >> reporter: absolutely. the one thing we can say about japan, the japanese people are very used to earthquakes. as you can imagine.

any time we get any tremors out here, they are very well prepared. tsunami -- this is the largest quake i've seen in the time i have lived here, but, you know, they are definitely listening to the warnings. a lot of people are evacuating to higher ground. >> akiko, we appreciate it. the very latest from the abc bureau in tokyo. we'll check back in with you again. right now, we actually want to take a quick break. we're getting a little more information now. we'll go ahead and get that. abab

welcome back, everyone. we are following a major, major disaster in japan. literally, japan is some chaos right now. triggered a tsunami that we're watching footage come in, watching homes and businesses the way people are urged to evacuate to higher ground. >> we're taking a look at the live pictures from nhk, the

public broadcaster out of japan. this is a rolling tide of tsunami water. you see it takes outside homes. this is a rural region north of tokyo called miyagi. as we continue to get details, most saying the aftershock just as bad. coming in at 7.4. once again, this quake struck in the middle of the afternoon, locally, 2:46. most people are out and about during their day. as you can see, perhaps the upside would be that this looks to be a sparsely populated region as opposed to an area like tokyo that would have more people. but this is footage from the initial tsunami taking out cars and causing problems. >> absolutely unbelievable footage there. we want to turn things over to akiko fujita, our correspondent

there in japan. good morning, are you hearing anything in terms of the damage here, i know it's still pa pandemonium and chaos, in terms of what the difference may be? >> reporter: this this an after shock that i'm feeling as i'm sitting here talking to you. you mentioned the images. the homes being washed away off the northern coast of japan. the closest city, the closest largest city is sendai. about 1 million people live there. we do know that magnitude 8.8 magnitude earthquake, tsunami is measuring 13 feet. dramatic footage that we're seeing out of nhk.

>> akiko, just the sheer panic that feel are feeling, you're still sitting in the abc building on the sixth floor. is it tough for you to sit there, you said you're feeling the aftershock? >> reporter: well, it is. the one thing living in japan, we get so many earthquakes, you tend to ignore them. this was one where i definitely feel, sitting here, i felt the need to duck under the table because the sirens going off as well. you can imagine, we're in tokyo which is hours away. >> more tsunamis could come. the danger is not over just yet? >> reporter: that's correct, there could be more tsunamis. i've been trying to gather information here. i don't have the exact numbers in place. one thing is japan is a country that -- they're prepared for something like this. when you see the images, you

can't imagine anybody being prepared to kind of -- >> akiko, we have to take a quick commercial break. we'll stay on this story all morning. certainly, we'll follow this throughout the morning. a tragedy unfolding in japan on this friday morning.

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welcome back. you're taking a look at live pictures of the aftereffects of an enormous tsunami, which followed an enormous earthquake of 8.9 magnitude. this is outside of japan that you're looking at now is in miyagi province. however, we were seeing earlier pictures also of the airport which appears to be completely under water. not to mention a natural gas fire at an oil refinery. a lot of people there concerned about some of the nuclear power plants that are also there in japan. they're saying some damage has been -- occurred to those. we're getting this information in from nhk, these live pictures as you see aerial photos of the tsunami water rolling over rural

countryside. >> just absolutely unbelievable images here. again, tsunami warnings not only for japan but other countries as well. that is a picture of a natural gas refinery. you can see the flames shooting into the sky there. the extent of the damage, possible death toll is still unknown at this point. details, as you can imagine, are slowly coming into us here. just an incredible tragedy here. the biggest earthquake in that country since 1995. that was, i think, a 6-point magnitude, this is an 8.9 or 8.8, there are conflicting reports of the strength, but a monster earthquake followed by this devastating tsunami in northeastern part of japan. a country very much in crisis at this point early on what was -- up until 2:46, what was a normal afternoon local time. >> the foreign minister asking for aid from other countries. we're taking a look at live pictures from downtown tokyo. some things appear to be moving along, you know, the traffic there being able to move along. however, earlier we're seeing

cars floating down in the water that was tsunami water that overtook the area. we do have a correspondent in tokyo who said she felt the earthquake, of course, and many people evacuated. >> and she was live. i mean, she was in that building and felt the aftershocks, one of which was a 7.4. pictures of live downtown tokyo right now. again, this earthquake happened a few hours north of tokyo, but they said they even felt the shaking in that part of the country, to give you some sense of just what a massive earthquake this was. >> other parts of the country and world are concerned about a follow-up tsunami, guam, taiwan, philippines, indonesia, also, hawaii has been issued a tsunami warning that can also be affected. we have also heard reports of injuries in tokyo. as you can imagine, the mass evacuation. take a look at the airport. people looking for higher ground in light of the tsunami warnings. but really incredible just to see it absolutely covered in water. >> turned into an island literally. they're warning people along the coast, please seek higher ground, get out of the way. again, not just in japan but

several countries in that part of the world this country, get to safe ground because the worst of this may not be over just yet. >> we do have more details to come as we're getting these